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Author
Topic: Dems tell Bono to take a hike (Read 7716 times)

I love it. This freeloader was hoping to get US taxpayer to pick up the bill for mosquito nets for people in Africa and Dems told him to take his cup and find another freeway overpass to hang out under. I just wish he would wash his hair. Ugh.Reps couldn't have done this cause Dems and media would have called them cold hearted. Maybe this crook Harry Reid aint so bad after all. Can you imagine the balls on this Bono? Asking a country,one of which he isnt a citizen nor does he pay taxes too,to pick up the tab for people all over the world? Just fucking amazing.

Ah, the spirit of Christmas...goodwill towards men. Mosquito netting has proved to be the most cost effective method for preventing malaria. I won't boggle your mind with facts or statistics or the geopolitical ramifications of pandemics. Maybe we should suspend all taxpayer financed programs? Should we start with Ryan White first Jack...or do you think the continent of Africa is expendable?

Are you aware of how cheap mosquito netting is and how many more people die from malaria in Africa than they do from AIDS/HIV?

Quote

Bush Celebrates Early Victories in Campaign Against Malaria

Published: December 15, 2006WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 — Malaria, a deadly tropical disease long overshadowed by AIDS, shared the stage with the president and the first lady on Thursday when the Bushes were the hosts of a forum at the National Geographic Society to raise the profile of this neglected scourge.

The gathering highlighted the growing efforts of influential evangelical, business and charitable leaders to raise money and mobilize volunteers against malaria, which kills 800,000 African children each year. Their rallying cry: Donate $10 for a mosquito net, save a life.

It also gave President Bush, whose reputation for compassionate conservatism has taken a beating during the grueling war in Iraq, a moment to bask in some of the early victories in the five-year, $1.2 billion campaign against the disease that his administration undertook a year and a half ago.

For example, on one of the spice islands of Zanzibar, where the United States helped distribute mosquito nets to cover every slumbering pregnant woman and child younger than 5 years old, the number of malaria cases has plummeted almost 90 percent since last year.

“So we’re acting and we’re leading,” Mr. Bush said. “And with partners across the world we are helping the people of Africa turn the tide against malaria.”

If the nets are so cheap why is the US being asked to pick up the tab by celebrity panhandlers like Bono? If they are so inexpensive,why doesnt ole Bono foot the bill? Why is he trying to stick US taxpayers with the bill? Hell, he has made millions with his Robin Hood act(rob the US taxpayer and give it to people in other countries who hate our guts). Why doesnt he go and try and get Syria,that midget in Iran,or the half wit in North Korea to pick up the tab?You have to find it humorous that Dems gave Bono the slip on this one. The Dems have been pumping morons like Bono for years that if they were running things we would be giving away more taxpayer money.

Not that I am against the mosquito nets or anything, but I would be interested in knowing how much Bono throws of his personal money toward all the causes he puts his mug on. I've wondered that for years. Anybody know if that info is available and where?

Not that I am against the mosquito nets or anything, but I would be interested in knowing how much Bono throws of his personal money toward all the causes he puts his mug on. I've wondered that for years. Anybody know if that info is available and where?

It's rather interesting that he petitions the government of Ireland to forgive the developing world their debts... and yet removes a substantial amount of tax money from the very government that would have to pay for it.

But hypocritical celebrities are a dime a dozen and are nothing new... I think pretending to be shocked at their antics is a little disingenuous.

A few years back, there was a write up about how much money Bono had raised up to that point. If memory serves me correctly, it was somewhere over the $100 million mark. This did not include all the personal expenses that it cost him to do all this. The US is not the only country that he has asked to give to causes such as these. One must wonder what the really important American celebs like Britney Spears have done about matter such as these? Jack, in previous posts, you have admitted several times that you basically an overweight couch potato. When you leave this life, and meek you maker, how will you defend doing nothing for people less fortunate than yourself? Sorry man, I gotta call it as I see it....

Thanks, AUP for the interesting link. Also to abqcarl for adding a bit more detail. I'd really like to see an at-length detailing of what cash he (Bono) has donated, to what organizations/causes, when and where.

How much raised is also different then how much personally donated directly out of pocket. I don't have a particular vendetta against Bono at all, but you can't wave a white flag that big around for that long without inviting personal speculation.

Also to note: Syria, Iran and North Korea lack the economic standing the US has to undertake such endeavors. We (the USA) also have a tendency as a nation to PR ourselves as the world's Bono, so it's understandable that we would find ourselves approached in such a way.

If the nets are so cheap why is the US being asked to pick up the tab by celebrity panhandlers like Bono? If they are so inexpensive,why doesnt ole Bono foot the bill? Why is he trying to stick US taxpayers with the bill? Hell, he has made millions with his Robin Hood act(rob the US taxpayer and give it to people in other countries who hate our guts). Why doesnt he go and try and get Syria,that midget in Iran,or the half wit in North Korea to pick up the tab?You have to find it humorous that Dems gave Bono the slip on this one. The Dems have been pumping morons like Bono for years that if they were running things we would be giving away more taxpayer money.

All I can find on the internet to corroborate your claims was an article in the conservative rag national ledger. Tenuous at best.

The US, the wealthiest nation on the planet, already spends a much lower rate of its GDP on foreign aid than other industrialized countries. I'd say we're pretty fucking cheap. Good thing we have wealthy liberals like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to make up the difference.

Meanwhile we spend how much per day on George's foreign military disasters?

And thanks to Philly267 for shedding even further light here. Based on what I just read, Bono wasn't 'mooching' or 'freeloading' anything...just meeting to seek assurance that money already planned to be spent on this particular cause would not be sacrificed if budgets were frozen. That's a very, very different thing altogether. At least, that's how it reads to me. Other comments from either side?

I'd like to know if there is a report on taxes or fees paid by Bono and his band for renting out venues to perform, or accomodations to stay. Do they get a break on that? Maybe if it's made up by "we know you're going to take a chunk home so we'll take ours on your way out" facts I'll pay attention.

Let Bono do as he wishes. If he f's up, the British "press" will let us know 24 hours before Entertainment Tonight does. He means well. Let the man sing and try to help others. He's not guaranteeing another image adaption by purchasing accessories from the locals, is he? ( sorry Madge!)

My Nuvo-Christian aunt is the most difficult person to buy presents for. 17 years ago I began giving her U2 tapes and discs for Christmas. She still thanks me for the musical gifts of "the Christian Pop Group, U2," as she refers to them.

The man helps people. He tries to hurt noone, just the opposite. Do I give a rat's ass about his music or celeb status? No. Do I care he's a mega-mooch for bucks to save people from dying who have 1/100 the resources I do? Not really. Merry Christmas to him. And thunter, isn't time out of one's life to do charity work worth something? We all know here time is precious.

Come in Berlin. Bono is not a US citizen. He does not pay US taxes. Why is this carpetbagger concerned over how we spend our money? Wasnt there something a few months ago about Bono trying to avoid Irish taxes? Holy shit, we have people we pay with our taxes to in Washington whose job it is to waste our money, I don't need this gladfly helping them. If Bono is really so concerned, he should give all his dough to these causes,quit his job(his music sucks anyways),take a bath and move to Africa and help there.If the thieves (congress)in DC want to send money to Africa, thats their business, I just object to celebrity panhandlers from other countries working us over.To who it may concern. Outside of what I have paid in taxes over the years I have given to numerous charities and worthy causes, often without getting a tax writeoff. I am not bragging I am just defending myself. And the only reason I am overweight is because of hiv drug side effects and I am not a couch potato, even though I have no idea why that should preclude me from commenting on a person attempting to divert my tax dollars away from more worth causes.

Jake we all know why you post threads like this and frankly it wears thin. You have stated on more than one occasion that you don't know how you would feel about funding research and treatment for HIV if you were not positive. I for one have a pretty good idea about how you would feel about taxpayer funding for HIV/AIDS. It saddens me to think about the jokes you would be making around the dinner table about people with HIV and how they deserve what they get if you turned up negative tomorrow. This nonsense you post has nothing to do with Bono, mosquito netting, or the meager amount of money allocated to finance such programs. I believe it stems from deep seated feelings of guilt and shame you harbor because your behavior resulted in infection. Infection by a virus that for the most part is associated with homosexuality. I would like to ask you to be a bit more considerate when you slam taxpayer financed programs that save lives...many of your co-infected friends who visit this site depend on these programs for just that reason. Have a nice holiday season.

razorbill:Absolutely! Time and effort spent toward worthy causes are worth plenty. Looking back through my above posts, though, I still stand by what I wrote. Anyone who rallies so loudly for the giving of others invites that kind of inspection of their own giving...and time, however valuable, doesn't go the whole distance- at least not with me. There isn't anything I've said about Bono that I would not happily say face-to-face to the man. I don't believe he would shy away from the inspection- or me for asking even. I'm not trying to come down on him or anyone. I'm just interested in having people back up their convictions....Bono, ME, you, jack, Dachshund....all of us.

For the record: I would be ash in an urn right now without the benefit of publicly-funded assistance. In fact, it is time for me to get a drink & swallow my tax-funded assistance right now.

dachshund, like the good liberal you are you have totally misrepresented what I wrote. I was only commenting on celebrity grifters like Bono,not the mosquito net program or hiv funding. I would much rather see my tax dollars go to fund programs that directly benefit my fellow citizens than tossed down some rathole outside the US. I am offended by a person who is not a US citizen trying to influence how my tax dollars are wasted, excuse me, spent.(that would be Bono).If you read my original post, it was about Dems giving Bono the slip on camping gear in Africa,not on HIV funding. I can't remember a time when anyone at our dinner table or any dinner table I have been at has made fun of people with any disease or people who are homosexual. Just doesnt happen. If they did, I would be all over them, as would most people I associate with.

dachshund, like the good liberal you are you have totally misrepresented what I wrote. I was only commenting on celebrity grifters like Bono,not the mosquito net program or hiv funding. I would much rather see my tax dollars go to fund programs that directly benefit my fellow citizens than tossed down some rathole outside the US. I am offended by a person who is not a US citizen trying to influence how my tax dollars are wasted, excuse me, spent.(that would be Bono).If you read my original post, it was about Dems giving Bono the slip on camping gear in Africa,not on HIV funding. I can't remember a time when anyone at our dinner table or any dinner table I have been at has made fun of people with any disease or people who are homosexual. Just doesnt happen. If they did, I would be all over them, as would most people I associate with.

I stand by what I said and bid you adieu...I will heed Basquo's advice and put you on ignore.

Bono does pay US taxes. Any income he earns on US soil is subject to US taxs. I know he has some sort of private equity firm that invest in US companies, which again, would be subject to US taxes. You need not be a citizen of a county to pay taxes.

I don't know how much he donates to private charities, and frankly don't really care. That's his personal business, just like each of us don't have to disclose how much we donate to charity. He's trying to make a difference and while I might not always agree with his methods or even his policies, it seems tough to take a piss on someone who is trying to raise awarness (and funds) for AIDS victims in Africa or lower crushing debt burdens faced by improvished nations.

Him moving his incorporated business to the Netherlands from Ireland is a none issue for me. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone, rich or not so rich, who don't do things to reduce their tax burdens.

Cliff, you dont think its funny Dems told him to get lost? After years of calling republicans cold hearted heathens for not doing more to help the impoverished of the world? I find it easy to piss on anyone who is not a US citizen and is trying to spend my tax dollars for any reason. As long as we have citizens of US who need medical care or money we shouldnt spending money on mosquito nets or hiv drugs for other countries. Lets take care of the citizens who pay US taxes first, then Bono can go buy deepwoods off and mosquito nets for the entire world.I have no problem with Bono trying his racket on private individuals or institutions. I just found it humorous that Bono is hitting US up for US taxpayer money,yet he pays no income taxes in Ireland.

Cliff, you dont think its funny Dems told him to get lost? After years of calling republicans cold hearted heathens for not doing more to help the impoverished of the world? I find it easy to piss on anyone who is not a US citizen and is trying to spend my tax dollars for any reason. As long as we have citizens of US who need medical care or money we shouldnt spending money on mosquito nets or hiv drugs for other countries. Lets take care of the citizens who pay US taxes first, then Bono can go buy deepwoods off and mosquito nets for the entire world.I have no problem with Bono trying his racket on private individuals or institutions. I just found it humorous that Bono is hitting US up for US taxpayer money,yet he pays no income taxes in Ireland.

Okay, Jack..put or shut up time!

Can you please site your sources here...please? You are making statements with out any proof offered. You continue to make inflamatory statements and yet still never provide any evidence or source as to where you are getting your information.

I have to say my patience is running thin at this point. Jack this is a public forum and some of the statements, when not backed up can techinically construe libel and defamation of character. You must be careful what you say, when you don't back up your statements with fact.

Now, kindly please point us in the direction of your sources so we can too form an educated opinion based on fact and not on one man's rantings!

Jeromy, If you live in the US always pay your taxes. Never,ever fall for tax write off schemes. If you dont pay your taxes the US government will get you. It just isn't worth going to jail. I fear the tax collector more than other branch of government. They dont fuck around and are very difficult to bribe,unlike other parts of our government. The tax code is now so huge and confusing,its possible you could go to the slammer for something you didnt ever know about. The US tax system is the full employment act for lawyers and accountants.Never ever make any investment or purchase(house)just for the write off. It usually backfires and runs you over.

I think he means sources for Bono...his tax evasions and all that. But while we are waiting...

I will stand up and say jack speaketh the Gospel about the IRS! Verily, verily, I say unto thee: render unto Caesar or else! They all but destroyed an old friend of mine by charging taxes based on the 'estimated potential value' of stock in a defunct web company. In the Net Boom, the company's stock was forecast to be worth X amount of dollars, but it went belly up within a year & my friend never saw a penny of that amount...and had all appropriate papers to show that. That mattered not to the IRS, though. Their attitude was basically: Gee, ain't red tape & loop holes a bitch? Sucks to be you.

The IRS said: Hmmm. We can see that you never really made a penny. How very unfortunate for you. Kindly send your payments anyway before we take your house, car, dog, kidneys...

NOTE: I am well aware that I just gave jack a big, fat can of gasoline. But the truth is the truth, and he is making one right above me here. They can be utterly ruthless.

UPDATED TO SAY: I'm speaking of the truth behind the IRS only. You and Jack can continue to scrap about Bono & stuff.

Here is one quick blurb from Bloomberg.com about U2 moving their corporation to the Netherlands after Ireland reduced the tax break givien to artists:

After Ireland said it would scrap a break that lets musicians and artists avoid paying taxes on royalties, Bono and his U2 bandmates earlier this year moved their music publishing company to the Netherlands. The Dublin group, which Forbes estimates earned $110 million in 2005, will pay about 5 percent tax on their royalties, less than half the Irish rate. As residents of Ireland, members of U2 remain liable for personal income taxes. Any Irish-based companies they control will pay taxes on their profits.

So Bono/U2 are paying some taxes to Ireland still it seems - and 5% of $110 million is still a chunk of change to most people....even us liberals

Looking forward to seeing Jack's sources - course I should just go to rush limburgers site - but I don't want to break my computer

Kevin

« Last Edit: December 19, 2006, 03:52:24 PM by Tucsonwoody »

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And I wished for guidance, and I wished for peaceI could see the lightning; somewhere in the eastAnd I wished for affection, and I wished for calmAs I lay there - Nervous in the light of dawn

He is not a US citizen, so I thought he didn't pay US income taxes. I could be wrong. He is a panhandler, in my opinion. He is trying to find new ways to waste US taxdollars on non US citizens, always managing to keep him in the media light. Free publicity to sell more of his tired music. This guy went state in 94.

If you had a choice and finite number of dollars would you choose to fund US programs for hivers or buy mosquito nets for people in Africa? Would you choose medical care for all in US or aids meds for Africans?

Oooh! Now, there's a provocative question! I'd love to jump right in on that, but the truth is that I think I need to stew on that one for quite awhile before I could forge a personally acceptable answer.

BTW: more fuel for the fire: Topic is North Korea...

Oprah's On !!

BTW: jack is the dude we must all love to hate, but he DOES force us to step up and argue our positions! I think people hate to talk politics and religion because of how worked up everyone gets. I love it....even when I'm dead wrong (which is probably quite frequently).

5%!!!!!!!!!!! He is paying 5%? no wonder he has his cup out over here. Look, I assumed he wasnt paying US taxes because he isnt a US citizen. I could be wrong. I have no idea why he would be paying taxes here. If he fled to the Netherlands to cut his rate from 10% to 5%, I bet he would love the corportate,state,and individual tax rate in US. Corporate tax in Ireland is 12.5%,and is probably one of the reason for the economic rebound there. I was in Ireland in early 90s and it was close to a third world country. They lowered tax rates and everything took off.US corporate tax rates are 15 to 39% and then shareholders are taxed again on dividends. No wonder he is over here.

Oooh! Now, there's a provocative question! I'd love to jump right in on that, but the truth is that I think I need to stew on that one for quite awhile before I could forge a personally acceptable answer.

BTW: more fuel for the fire: Topic is North Korea...

Oprah's On !!

BTW: jack is the dude we must all love to hate, but he DOES force us to step up and argue our positions! I think people hate to talk politics and religion because of how worked up everyone gets. I love it....even when I'm dead wrong (which is probably quite frequently).

Ditto

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LIFE is not a race to the grave with the intention of arriving safelyin a pretty and well-preserved body, but, rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming--WOW! WHAT ARIDE!!!

Bono tells no one here how to spend money. He hasn't the power. Congress and aid organizations still get to make the call and cut the checks - so the position that Bono is "spending" US tax dollars is ridiculous. People in control can say yes or no. It's like a some dip shit coming along and telling Congress there are weapons of mass destruction in a country and Congress then spending 100's of billions of dollars invading. Stupid stuff like that just doesn't happen with tax dollars.

It's a not fair question. While there may be finite funds, there is enough funds to fully-fund HIV care in the US and provide our share of a fully funded global HIV fund. Even if we spent 10 times the amount we currently do on HIV care overseas, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the money the government spends on HIV care in the US. Let's not even tough the other billions of dollars we spend on other programs (farm aid, military, NASA, college education, highway construction, disaster aid/bail-outs, etc..). The US government isn't hurting for cash, it just chooses to spend its money on ways we disagree with. Of course, everyone has their hands out and we all form competing interests.

This is just a pointless them versus us argument. The money the US spends on HIV care overseas (which isn't all that much) isn't preventing us from fully funding HIV care in the US. And its not just spent on Africa, though that continent is the bastard child that everyone loves to both pity and beat up.

Maybe if we wasted less money on Christianist "Abstinence Only" programs that don't actually work we could move some cash over to the mosquito netting category and call it a day.

Seriously... there are too many other issues to get riled up about. This thread, at heart, is actually about the time honored conservative tradition of celebrity bashing (because 99% of them never vote for Republicans) along with some predictable "Old Europe" stuff mixed in.

Hey Jack - I am pretty new here and didn't join up to argue with guys like you so hopefully I'll be able to resist anymore of your uninformed posts.

However I see you suffer from an illness called selective reading and I think you should see your doctor about that right away - my post was about the group U2's taxes for the music publishing company they own, not Bono personally - which is what they relocated out of Ireland. He hasn't fled anywhere and still pays personal taxes in Ireland.

Also - the change the Irish government made in the taxes would have resulted in a tax rate of 42% on their companys earnings. Seems a bit steep to me and oh by the way - don't we have hundreds of overseas charities asking for our dollars? I could go on but there are others better qualified to deal with you and besides...it's time for a nap which is way more important.

From Bloomberg.com article:

Remaining in Ireland would have forced Bono to pay a 42 percent tax on such earnings. Alternatively, the band could have channeled profits through a company to pay the 12.5 percent corporation tax.

He is not a US citizen, so I thought he didn't pay US income taxes. I could be wrong. He is a panhandler, in my opinion. He is trying to find new ways to waste US taxdollars on non US citizens, always managing to keep him in the media light. Free publicity to sell more of his tired music. This guy went state in 94.

If you had a choice and finite number of dollars would you choose to fund US programs for hivers or buy mosquito nets for people in Africa? Would you choose medical care for all in US or aids meds for Africans?

I don't believe I really pity Africa, and I certainly don't 'beat up' Africa. I think anything I have that might resemble 'pity' is as much for the world at large as it is for Africa. I do cry over Africa, sigh about Africa, wring my hands over Africa, feel like we're running up against a brick wall over Africa, sometimes wish I could just forget entirely about Africa. Yet I am never able to fully shake the feeling that somehow deep down: As it goes for Africa, so it goes for the whole world.

You know...you can pump up the tires, put on lights and a shiny new bell, and even slap a baseball card on the spokes for a nice rattle, but until you figure out how to untangle that twisted, rusted & broken chain, the bike will never go anywhere.

It's not eye-rollingly simple either. If it was, I might get even one day free from the onslaught of sounds and images of outstretched arms & little kids with bloated bellies and flies hanging on their lips, and bleak facts and figures coming from all channels. And maybe even a break from everyone from Bono to Sally Struthers pleading the case on behalf of Africa.

BTW: You (Cliff) have an awful lot of input about the US and its finances...how much money it has, how it spends it, where it goes, etc. And you referred to it in the "us" and "we" sense a lot above. Your profile shows you to be in the UK- not here. Are you here in the US? In the UK? From the US? I'm just curious what your background is with regard to the US.

UPDATE TO SAY: This is not a "what biz is it of yours?" question. I'm just curious about your background here....

Ya know what? Upon reread, this sounds more hateful than I intended it to.

WE could invade! That always seems to work out ok for us. Then PAVE it. NASCAR Supercontinent...... but im not sure the fanbase is there. Hmmmmmm.....

How about we get all the Africans on some big boats and bring em over here? Seems like that idea has been tried tho doesnt it!

I know... what if we ship ALL the celebs AND the Republicans over THERE!!!! Hardly seems fair tho, those poor Africans having to deal with those worthless turds all day long......

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LIFE is not a race to the grave with the intention of arriving safelyin a pretty and well-preserved body, but, rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming--WOW! WHAT ARIDE!!!

BTW: You (Cliff) have an awful lot of input about the US and its finances...how much money it has, how it spends it, where it goes, etc. And you referred to it in the "us" and "we" sense a lot above. Your profile shows you to be in the UK- not here. Are you here in the US? In the UK? From the US? I'm just curious what your background is with regard to the US.

Opinionated American (hence us and we), live in the UK (profile is accurate), still pay taxes in the US (Americans, much like medicore Irish bands, are taxed on worldwide income), my UK bank accounts are offshore, Isle of Man, which means I avoid paying UK taxes on money that was already taxed in the US (I'm gonna burn in hell) but do pay UK taxes on income earned in the UK, lived in Africa (RSA) for a spell.